BETTER THAN EVER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22201, 11 December 1946, Page 8

BETTER THAN EVER

BRAMBLE SONG AVONDALE EVENTS DISCLOSURES OF FORM (Herald Special Service.) The feature of the concluding day of the Avondale Jockey Club’s summer meeting was the triumph of Bramble Song in the chief handicap of the day. He was the winner of the Great Northern Hurdles last June and the Grand National Hurdles in August. This was easily his most important win on. the flat and although the class in the 11furlong Plumpton Handicap was not of the best Auckland open handicap grade, it was quite strong enough to suggest that he is now, perhaps, a better horse than he has ever been. Bred on Right Lines Bramble Song is eight off, so that he is no.t a very young gelding to start winning £I6OO handicap races. He was got by Blunting Song from a mare bred by the late Sir George Clifford and. as that sportsman bred only from the best, it can be reckoned that Saturday’s winner is on the right lines. Conspiracy has been racing consistently of late, but has not won a race this season. Again on Saturday he was in .the money to chase Bramble Song home, while Saffron Walden, second the previous Saturday, occupied third place Swift Quarry was scratched, so it looks as if .the Foxbridge horse is not to fulfil his engagement in the Auckland Cup on Boxing Day, as, if he was, he would probably have been given a race last Saturday, unless, of course, he went amiss.

Rakanui was once again no.t up to getting in the money, so it looks as if the old Hunting Song gelding has had his day.

South Riding, second on opening day at Avondale, was unplaced this time, the same applying to United Nations, who. after her smart gallop last week, must have disappointed her connections and supporters^ Second Win by Pelias

Pelias won his second race when accounting for the two-year-old, Hopeful Stakes from two maideners, Robin Leigh and Olive Fox. The winner is running up to his reputation and will be on hand a very fit horse for the Great Northern Foal Stakes on Boxing Day at Ellerslie. The runner-up, Robin Leigh, has a second, a third and a fourth to his credit out of six starts. He is owned and trained by Mr. M. Joblin and was got by the imported Robin Goodfellow from Biddy Pay. by Autopay from Biddy Thurnham, by Thurnham. tracing back to the Traducer mare, Florin. Olive Fox is by Foxbridge out of Mary Scot, bv Phaleron Bay from Trimden, by Tea Tray. In her three previous starts Olive Fox had not been in the money. s The speculators were well out of form in the 11-furlong Mt. Roskill Hack Handicap when Richelieu, with a string of unplacings against his name, was first. Silver Treasure, not in winning form for some time, was second with the third place going to Killfast, who also had no form to suggest him Dayine a place price. The winner, Richelieu, won his previous race over two years ago and is a six-year-old by Broiefort from Griselle. a mare that does not appear to have been registered. Peter Gregor’s Return

Peter Gregor, who has been in the money a iew times this season without winning, returned to the successful list when accounting for the Mount Eden Handicap. He is a seven-year-old by Hunting Song, so .that the progeny of the defunct Hurry On horse accounted for the double last Saturday at Avondale. Peter Gregor is from a mare named Valaraia, by Valkyrian (sire of the dam of Kindergarten, Golden Souvenir and company) from Malaria, by Quarantine from Minsk, by Martian from Stephaine. from Stepniak from •he Maxim mare. Fanna. a family that has not made much of a name for itself in either Australia or New Zealand.

White Blaze, after having every show, failed to do better than third in 'the open mile at Avondale, which was won by Kerry Lad with Balmacara second and Lord Banvon once again not in the money. Kerry Lad has a couple of thirds to his credit of late, as well as one fourth, while last season as a three-year-old he won one race. As a two-year-old a couple of thirds was his best, so that his recent success was only the second of his career. He. is now a four-year-old and was sired by Foxbridge from Princess Rewa, who, like the winner of the open sprint. Peter Gregor is a member of the No. 12 family but of a different tap root. Expected to Run Well

Last season Balmacara was a very fair perfomer and was got by Phaleron Bay from the Australian-bred mare, Wyndale. He has been galloping fairly impressively of late, so that he was expected to be prominent on Saturday. In some quarters he is being spoken of as a possibility in the Auckland Railway Handicap, which is to be run on Boxing Day. Gaelic League, who was a mild surprise in the second division at the Avondale meeting in the Titarangi Hack Handicap, started once last season for an unplacing and twice this ybar before Saturday’s success to he out of the money on both occasions, so that he had no form whatsoever. He is a four-year-old by Douglas Hyde out of Josie Melville, a mare not in the N.Z. Stud hook, so that he did not have much to recommend his chances. His sire was not very long* in New Zealand. Douglas Hyde was bred in Ireland and was got by Interlace (by Hurry On from that good mare Straitlace, by Son-in-law from Stolen Kiss) from Citoyeune, by Comrade (by Batchelor’s Double) from Cantrip, by Desmond from Pawky etc., so that the sire of Saturday’s surprise winner was a well-bred horse. Nancy Hanks, winner of the first division of the same race, has only been once out of the money in seven efforts this season and, although there was not a first in her list, thoroughly deserved her win. She is a four-vear-old by Dink from Tip Toes, by Tea Tray from the Oaks winner. Danea, by Catmint, tracing back to the Cuirassier mare Paulina. * Making his first appearance this season in a field of seasoned hurdlers, Lucky Alex was the winner of the Three Kings Hurdles from Vanina and Waiting. Lucky Alex has always been a useful average hurdler performer, but it was thought that he would need a race before winning. He is trained by A. Winder and is by tiie New Zealand-bred Surview, from Gold Beauty, by St. Amans (Soult— Lottie) from Shower Gold, by Marble Arch from the imported Merry Nif, so that he is well come.

Gold Watch ran another fair race. Considering that the distance was a mile, her performance was far better than one would have expected five or six months hack when she was finding it hard to see out six furlongs.- She was beaten into second place on Saturday by Lord Revel, who, ill his last halfdozen starts, has not been out of the money, but who. in future, will have to do his racing in open company. He is another of the successful Revelation breed from Eudorace, by The Ace from the Australian-bred Duchess Eudoross. This gelding is trained by F. Gilchrist for Messrs. A. Nicol and J. Page.